Free Dropping In by Geoff Havel

hasn’t done anything either, except get in that fight at the skate park, and that isn’t anything to do with the school. But it must be Ranga ’cause I really haven’t done anything. My guts are churning.
    The lady behind the office desk smiles at me, all friendly. ‘Have a seat, Ian,’ she says. ‘The principal will be with you soon.’
    I sit over by the planter box watching people come and go, mostly just delivering messages or cashbooks from the different teachers. Everyone who comes in here talks softly. It’s the atmosphere. It feels a bit like a library, except no one’s reading. I feel like it’s a law courtand I’m about to be sentenced.
    Finally Mr Sutton calls me into his office.
    â€˜Sit down, Ian,’ he says.
    I sit on the chair he gestures to. It’s comfy, with armrests. If only we had these in the classrooms. I lean back, but only a little. You can’t slouch in the principal’s office.
    Mr Sutton doesn’t say anything for a while. He just stares at the desk in front of him, frowning slightly, making his mind up what to say, or how to say it. Finally he speaks. ‘How have you been, Ian?’
    â€˜Good,’ I say.
    He points to my elbow. ‘Had an accident?’
    â€˜The skate park,’ I say.
    â€˜Trying for air?’ he says.
    It sounds so wrong, coming out of his mouth. He probably wants me to relax but it will never work. He’s the principal and I’m a kid, in his office. He should just get it over with.
    And then he does. ‘Ian, it’s about Warren.’
    So it
is
Ranga. I feel anger rising up inside me. I sit forward. This time they aren’t going to twist what I say.
    â€˜I told you, the black eye last week was from his skateboard. It happened in our driveway. The ramp webuilt broke and it hit him in the eye.’
    â€˜The ramp?’
    Mr Sutton is acting like that social worker, trying to trip me up with stupid questions. ‘No, his skateboard,’ I snap. I’m angry.
    Mr Sutton actually smiles. ‘Yes,’ he says, ‘I know, Ian.’
    We sit in silence for a minute. I reckon he’s thinking about Ranga and his next question. I’m thinking about getting out of there.
    Finally he speaks again. ‘Were you there when he got the split lip?’
    Split lip! Teachers notice everything! I have to be careful here. ‘No,’ I say, ‘but James was. Ranga was defending James from a bully at the skate park.’
    Mr Sutton just stares at me. It makes me feel really uncomfortable and I look away, but then I think that it makes me look like I’m lying so I make myself stare back and he looks away, down at his desk.
    â€˜You’re certain?’ he says.
    I want to shout at him, ‘What are you saying? Do you think I’m a liar?’ but I don’t. I just say, ‘They came around to my place just after it happened.’
    Mr Sutton nods. ‘Thank you, Ian. You’ve made things a lot clearer for me.’ He jots something in a notepad and Isit there waiting for a minute or so before he looks up and smiles. ‘That will be all. You can go back to class now.’
    I’m at the door when he calls, ‘Ian!’
    I freeze and then turn slowly.
    He’s smiling. ‘I don’t think Warren will have anything to worry about from now on.’
    I stare at him. It takes me a few moments to figure out what he means. Then I mumble something and head back to class. It feels like a cloud has lifted. I think Mr Sutton actually listened to me and believed me. I’ll have to wait for lunch to tell Ranga about it. He’s got English now and I’ve got maths but that’s cool.
    I like algebra. I like getting real-life problems and making up equations and solving them. Let x equal the number of apples and y equal the number of boys. If only life could be solved like that. Then it would be easy. The trouble with life is that x